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LAX85FA185

1985-03-22 · LOS ANGELES, California, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport LAX

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

ON THIS LEG OF THE FLT, THE 1ST OFFICER (FO) WAS FLYING THE ACFT WHILE THE CAPTAIN (CAPT) WAS MONITORING & CONDUCTING ATC COMMUNICATIONS. REPORTEDLY, THE AIRCREW HAD FOLLOWED THE CHECKLIST DURING ARRIVAL; HOWEVER, THE ACFT WAS LANDED WITHTHE GEAR RETRACTED. WHEN THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN, PIECES OF THE R PROP BLADES BROKE OFF & ENTERED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE, BETWEEN & BELOW THE 1ST & 2ND WINDOWS. FIVE PIECES PENETRATED THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT & SERIOUSLY INJURED A PASSENGER IN THE 1ST ROW. THE OTHER 1ST ROW PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. THE CAPT STATED HE HAD PUT THE GEAR HANDLE IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE FO REMEMBERED CALLING FOR GEAR EXTENSION, BUT DID NOT RECALL ACTUALLY NOTICING THE GEARBEING LOWERED. DAMAGES INDICATED THE GEAR DOORS WERE CLOSED DURING TOUCHDOWN. THE GEAR & WARNING SYSTEMS WERE CHECKED & THEY FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE FO HAD PULLED THE GEAR WARNING CIRCUIT BREAKER (CB) ON THE PREV FLT, BUT HAD RESET IT. HE SPECULATED THE CB MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ALL THE WAY IN (NOT FULLY RESET); THUS, DEACTIVATING THE GEAR WARNING SYSTEM. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1985_LAX85FA185.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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